Jack Draper advanced to his first Grand Slam semifinal by defeating Alex De Minaur in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5, 6-2, at the US Open on Wednesday. With this victory, Draper became the first male player since 2020 to reach the semifinals at Flushing Meadows without losing a set.
The British No. 25 seed relied on his powerful serve, which reached speeds of up to 128 mph, to secure 40 winners and break De Minaur’s serve six times during the match. Draper, 22, expressed his excitement, stating, “It’s amazing. To be out here, my first match on the biggest court in the world, honestly, it’s a dream come true for me.”
Draper makes history as the first British man to reach the US Open semifinals since Andy Murray, who won the title in 2012. While he hasn’t recently spoken to Murray, Draper acknowledged that the former world No. 1 is always available for support.
“I feel pretty relaxed,” Draper said. “I feel pretty good, and I’m just taking it one day at a time, and looking to keep on going forward.” He is set to compete against top-seeded Jannik Sinner in Friday’s semifinal after Sinner’s victory over No. 5 seed Daniil Medvedev.
Medvedev was the last player to reach the semifinals at the US Open without dropping a set before winning the title in 2021. The last man to achieve this feat before Medvedev was Neale Fraser in 1960.
Draper’s victory over De Minaur marks his second consecutive win against an ATP top-10 player, having previously defeated No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz at Queen’s Club in June. Prior to these wins, Draper had a 2-11 record against the top 10.
Despite battling a hip injury, De Minaur expressed his belief that he was on the right track, stating, “Jack is never easy to play in the best of times… He deserves the win. In the few chances that I had I wasn’t able to execute.”
Draper becomes the fourth British man to reach the US Open semifinals since the Open era began in 1968, joining the ranks of Andy Murray, Tim Henman, and Greg Rusedski.
The young player has faced physical challenges in the past, including significant injuries that limited his play. He reflected on his journey, acknowledging, “Last year was a real turning point for me… I had to watch all these young, amazing players winning amazing tournaments.”
Draper credits his improved fitness for his recent success, as he feels it has played a crucial role in his performance against De Minaur. He is guaranteed to break into the top 20 of the ATP rankings for the first time after starting the year ranked No. 61.